Differentiation of sugarcane ripeness using geotechnology tools at the field level

• Grant number: 25/13121-8
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: October 01, 2025
• End date: September 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agricultural Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Tatiana Fernanda Canata
• Grantee: Tatiana Fernanda Canata
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias (FCAV). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Jaboticabal. Jaboticabal , SP, Brazil
• City of the host institution: Jaboticabal
• Associated research grant: 23/12986-0 - Mapping sugarcane quality using artificial intelligence tools and high-resolution imagery, AP.R
• Associated scholarship(s): 25/22186-6 - Differentiation of sugarcane ripeness using geotechnology tools at the field level, BP.IC

Abstract

Traditional laboratory measurements of sugar content in sugarcane are destructive and limited in quantity, hindering the planning of large-scale harvesting of the raw material. Given the importance of sugarcane to national agribusiness and the high cost of mechanized harvesting of the crop, the objective of this research is to investigate the potential of geotechnology tools for differentiating sugarcane ripeness levels at the plot level. The qualitative attributes of sugarcane will be measured during the crop maturity period for a commercial harvest in the state of São Paulo using regular grid sampling. Subsequently, these georeferenced attributes will be analyzed in GIS (Geographic Information System) and in accessible computing environments. Descriptive statistics will be performed on the data and then the maturity level of the plants will be determined based on the Brix and Purity values, subdividing them into ideal regions for harvesting and maturation (Brix<18° and Purity<85%). The development of the project will allow the mapping of the commercial area and the differentiation of crop maturity through georeferenced data and geoprocessing techniques and, therefore, will help in prioritizing plots in ideal conditions for harvesting. The results of this project will make it possible to fill a national gap in the development of innovations in tropical agriculture, as well as encourage sustainable practices related to early and non-destructive monitoring of crops. (AU)